American high school movies are hallowed ground. Every since “American Graffiti,” there’s always been a gaggle of unknown actors in them who go on to become stars: “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Clueless,” and so on.
They stick in our collective consciousness because most Americans have high school heavenly-hellish hangouts in their heads that haunt them for life.
While not a brilliant cinema-going choice for a grown man, “The DUFF” will probably perform decently at the box office. If the target audience at the screening was any indication, tween girls will love it. Basically, it’s a makeover movie.
But first things first: What’s a DUFF? It’s a heretofore under-the-radar stereotype, which, due to ingenious American social awareness, humor, and slang-appreciation, has now been isolated, diagnosed, and labeled.
Remember Brittany Murphy’s character in “Clueless?” She was the DUFF for Alicia Silverstone’s and Stacey Dash’s characters. Acronym: “Designated Ugly Fat Friend.”
The plump, plain DUFFs are gatekeepers to their thin, hot friends. We’re shown various kinds of DUFFs, most notably the “Political Duff”—Fat Chris Christie standing next to thin Barack Obama. Good visual gag if not an actually valid “exhibit A.”
Of course Brittany Murphy was a camouflaged babe in her own right, and Bianca Piper (Mae Whitman) in “The DUFF” isn’t exactly chopped liver herself, once she cleans up. Which is why this is a makeover movie.
So. In the land of jocks, geeks, princesses, and hackers, Bianca’s got two totally hot friends: Jess (Skyler Samuels) and Casey (Bianca A. Santos). They’re your rare, pretty, high school nice-girls.
